Gustav struck



M Patented Feb. 7, was.

G. STRUEK.

STARTING DEVICE FOR HYDRUCARBON ENGINES.

(Application filed Km. 26, 1896.)

(No Model.)

llll llll UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

GUSTAV S'IRUCK, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

STARTING DEVICE FOR HYDROCARBON-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 619,238, dated February 7, 1899.

Application filed March 26, 1893.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, GUSTAV STRUCK, manufacturer, a subject of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, residing at No. 30 Stettinerstrasse, Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented a new and useful Starting Device for Hydrocarbon-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to a device for starting hydrocarbon-engines. The general purpose of my invention is to start any number of such engines by means of one and the same crank, provided said engines be furnished with certain combinations and arrangements of parts, such as are described hereinafter. In general these parts constitute one half of a coupling, the other half of which is attached to or forms part of the boss of the crank aforementioned. Besides the general purpose aforementioned, a particular purpose of the same consists in preventing the operator from being hurt in case the explosion of the mixture of gas and air occurs too early, so that the shaft of the engine is driven in the re. versed direction.

In order to make my invention more clear, I refer to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the different views, and in which- Figure 1 shows that part of the coupling which is secured to the shaft of the engine. Fig. 2 shows a side view of the coupling. Fig. 3 shows the other part of the coupling. Fig. 4 is a section in line 6 7 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 shows a side View of a sleeve forming part of the first-mentioned half of the couping.

My improved device or coupling is constructed as follows: A crown-wheel 0, Figs. 1, 2, and 4:, with ratchet-teeth b and forming a kind of collar or boss, is secured to one end of the driving-shaft of the hydrocarbon-engine, the connection being preferably effected by a spindle or bolt h, having a screwthreaded part h. This part h takes into a correspondingly-threaded bore of the shaft of the engine. The spindle or bolt 7?. may be used as a pivot or guide for the other half of the coupling.

The reduced part of the crown-wheel c is encompassed by a sleeve d, Figs. 1, 2, 4, and

Serial No. 675,235. (No model.)

5, provided with ratchet-teeth (1 around its periphery. These teeth cooperate with a pawl g, Fig. 1, attached to a suitable part of the frame of the engine. The sleeve d is provided with two recesses or cuts 6, Figs. 1, 4, and 5, located diametrically one to the other. The boss at, Figs. 2 and 3, of the crank '5 constitutes the other half of the coupling and forms also a crown-wheel with ratchetteeth I), Fig. 3. The number and position of these teeth b correspond to the number and position of the teeth I), the arrangement being such that the teeth 6 and 12 mesh with each other when the boss or crown-wheel a is shoved upon the bolt or spindle h, and the direction of inclination of the ratchet-teeth b I) being such that the crown-wheel c is turned by the crown-wheel ct when the crank I: is moved in the direction of the hands of aclock, and the shaft of the engine willalso be turned by means of the crown-wheel or collar or boss 0.

The crown-wheel or boss a is furnished with two rolls f, the number and position of which correspond to the number and position of the cuts or recesses e of the sleeve cl. Before or While shoving the boss a upon the bolt h the parts a and d are so arranged with regard to each other that the rolls f take into the recesses e, as otherwise the teeth 19 cannot take into the teeth I).

When the engine has been started, by turning its driving-shaft by means of the device aforedescribed, the speed of that shaft will soon increase and the crown-wheel 0 will thus turn quicker than the crown-wheel a,the speed of motion of the latter being of course dependent on the speed of the crank z'. In consequence of the difierence in speed thus occurring the teeth b will glide along the teeth I), thus displacing the boss at in the direction of the free end of the bolt it until the coupling between the two parts a. and c is interrupted, when the crank may simply be drawn off said bolt.

If the mixture of gas and air should explode too early, so that the shaft of the engine is turned in the reverse direction, the movement of teeth I) will counteract the movement of teeth I) and the crank 71. will receive a heavy shock, so that the operator may easily be hurt. To prevent such an accident, the toothed sleeve d and the pawl g have been provided. When the crown-wheel c is turned in the re verse direction by the shaft of the engine,

the sleeve 01 will be prevented by the pawl g against turning together with the wheel. OW- ing thereto the rolls f, which are secured to the crown-wheel a, and are thus caused to revolve when this wheel is turned,will thus be compelled to roll along the inclined surfaces constituting the recesses 6, so that finally they leave these recesses. While this takes place, the teeth I) are drawn out of the teeth I), so that consequently the coupling between the two parts a and c is automatically interrupted. The compulsory movement imparted tothe crank i is thus but very short, and is, in fact, so short that an accident cannot possibly' result therefrom.

Having thus fully described the nature of my said invention, what I desire to secure by In a starting device for hydrocarbon-engines, the combination with a crown-wheel c with ratchet-teeth b, secured to the drivingshaft of the engine, of another crown-wheel a with ratchet-teeth 17, forming the boss of a crank, and adapted to mesh with said former wheel; a sleeve (1 having ratchet-teeth located around its periphery, and encompassing the wheel 0; recesses 6 provided in said sleeve, rolls f attached to the wheel a and arranged so as to take into said recesses and a pawl 9 attached to the engine and arranged so as to cooperate with the ratchet-teeth of the sleeve,

substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAV STRUCK.

Witnesses:

(J. H. DAY, HENRY HASPER. 

